Ben can't stand him, especially the long drawn out chillllllllllllls and sighs, despite being exactly the same when I first met him (and still on occasion depending on mood) and despite the fact that all his male relatives are exactly the same also and his father the most so. It's that surfer dude act thing, laid back "Californian" vibe plus the fact that they all talk about the amazing experience of life in exactly the same way! Like all of them too, I think there is a "temper" lurking there which he doesn't like to reveal. Sleeplessness might push it to the fore.

Things I like about him are as follows:

He seems confident in what he's talking about and in the Diary room particularly he is unhesitant in his speech and makes good observations.

He is polite and well mannered.

He is thick skinned when it comes to being treated like a scapegoat much of the time and communal football, either laughing it off or changing it around to emerge the better for it.

When tackling somebody "difficult" he won't bludgeon them with his own arguments but suggests different ways of looking at something instead and presents his points of view without emotion.

So many times he has been a victim of hen pecking purely for the sake of it, Lisa in particular jumps at any chance.

those pauses and long sighs are obviously part of what irritates the hm8's but it's a harmless idiosyncrasy, as you say Steph he does have manners and a certain diplomatic style when interacting with others which they perceive as weakness, which they cowardly think makes him an easy target.